EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Monday, Oct. 31, 2011
9:00 am EDT
Contact: Jacqueline Gaulin or Anne-Louise Oliphant
[email protected] or 301-263-9000
as of Sunday October 30, 2011 at ACG Press Room,
Gaylord National Hotel, 301-965-5139
Moderate Alcohol Consumption is Associated with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
Just One Drink per Day May Be Cause of GI Woes Like Bloating, Gas, Abdominal Pain, Diarrhea
Washington, DC (October 31, 2011) – Just one drink per day for women—two for men—could lead to
small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and subsequently cause gastrointestinal symptoms like
bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, according to the results of a new study
unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in
Washington, DC.
The retrospective review, “Moderate Alcohol Consumption is Associated with Small Intestinal Bacterial
Overgrowth,” looked at the charts of 198 patients who underwent lactulose hydrogen breath testing
(LHBT) to determine the presence of SIBO, and found that any current alcohol consumption was
significantly associated with the presence of SIBO—and neither smoking nor use of heartburn drugs
called PPIs was associated with an increased risk of SIBO.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a condition where abnormally large numbers of bacteria grow in
the small intestine. Normally the small intestine contains a relatively low number of bacteria in contrast
to the large intestine, which should contain a larger number of bacteria. In patients with SIBO, the
abnormally large numbers of bacteria in the small intestine use for their growth many of the nutrients
that would otherwise be absorbed.
As a result, a person with small bowel bacterial overgrowth may not absorb enough nutrients and
become malnourished. In addition, the breakdown of nutrients by the bacteria in the small intestines
can produce gas as well as lead to a change in bowel habits.
--MORE--
While previous studies have focused on alcoholics, who were found to have high rates of SIBO, this
study by Scott Gabbard, MD and colleagues at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the Mayo
Clinic, is one of the first to look at the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and SIBO.
Moderate alcohol consumption means no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for
men, with twelve ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1-½ ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits
counting as one drink, according to the USDA dietary guidelines.
An overwhelming majority (95 percent) of the 198 patients in the study drank a moderate amount of
alcohol, sometimes less than 1 drink per day, said Dr. Gabbard, who also indicated that only four of the
patients drank more alcohol—a finding he noted indicates that consumption of even the slightest
amount of alcohol could have an impact on gut health.
“These findings are significant because we now know that any bit of alcohol consumption--not just the
amount consumed by alcoholics—is a strong predictor of a positive lactulose hydrogen breath testing
and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth,” he said. “While typical treatment for SIBO has been
antibiotics, probiotics or a combination of the two, the question now becomes what is the exact
association between moderate alcohol consumption and SIBO and whether alcohol cessation can be
used as a treatment for this potentially harmful condition.”
###
About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an
international membership of more than 12,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed
to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist through its emphasis on scholarly practice,
teaching and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the
delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to
gastroenterology patients. www.acg.gi.org View releases on other research breaking at the ACG
meeting at www.acg.gi.org/media/press.asp Follow ACG on Twitter